Important Notice!

The festival's 19th edition, originally scheduled for June 19-27, has been rescheduled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Rather than giving up during this time of uncertainty, we are continuing to take a hopeful course and are forging ahead to the best of our ability to reschedule our 19th edition festival for October 2 to 10, 2020. These plans are fully predicated on being able to gather safely according to recommendations of our health and government officials.
Read full update

Press

Donate Your Musical Instruments for City School Students

May 23, 2019

Share the joy of music!

If you have a new or used musical instrument or accessories you no longer need, please bring it to the festival at the Merchandise Tent where Rochester Education Foundation (REF) will be collecting them for city school students. from 5 to 7:30 pm daily during the festival June 21 - 29.

If the instrument can't be brought to the festival, REF collects them year round. Donors receive a letter stating that their donation is tax deductible as allowed by the law. Please contact REF for more information: info@rochestereducation.org, or 585-271-5790, or drop instruments off at 250 Mill St., Rochester 14614. Please call ahead for any large instruments.

For the past 12 years, Rochester Education Foundation has collected used musical instruments for Rochester city students at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, thanks to the generous support of M&T Bank.

Since the launch of our Spring for Music Opportunities program in 2005, REF has collected more than 2,000 musical instruments, giving all of them to Rochester city schools to be used by students.

When REF launched this campaign, some schools had only 14 musical instruments. Some students were prevented from playing due to the availability of so few instruments. This has changed thanks to this program and the generosity of the Rochester community. Playing a musical instrument is linked to academic advancement in young people and a lifelong appreciation of the joy of music.